The Great American Adventure

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THE AMERICAN ADVENTURE
SOUTHWEST AND THE ARIZONA AND UTAH CANYONS


On the 28th of September we farewelled the Grand Canyon and headed south to Flagstaff - a university town popular for skiing and the train crossroad town for Arizona on Route 66, where a train goes through about every 15 minutes, some being hauling 140 double levelled containers.
We spent the weekend here getting topped up on our groceries and awaiting Corrie’s dentist appointment on the Monday morning to get the cap put back on that fell off just before Tracey’s wedding.
During the weekend we visited Wupatki and Walnut Canyons and the Sunset Volcano crater. We also hiked the Elden and Buffalo mountains, enjoyed some time in the old historic part of Flagstaff and bought ourselves some NZ Merino wool Icebreaker tops and a 100% PURE Merino hat to protect and keep warm E’s head for the months ahead.
From here we headed down the Oak Creek Canyon road bypassing Sedona (for now) and headed to Cottonwood in the Verde Valley.
It was the name that attracted us to Dead Horse Ranch and Lot 104 Coppers Hawk Loop in the State Park but there were many great things about this spot we were yet to discover. Firstly were our neighbours Carolyn and David from south of Tucson, they like us enjoyed a campfires and a glass of red - which made for good camping and good company. Secondly was the fact that there were electric hook-ups in a State Park which is quite rare here, thirdly were the lovely hikes we did each morning in this nature lovers paradise, but most importantly was that it was here in Cottonwood that we drove into the local Department of Motor Vehicles and met Olivia and Helen and successfully managed to register Elvis and Revvy.( up until now we had been doing a bit of a Bonnie and Clyde, sometimes on dealer tags and sometimes not.) It was only due to the fact that Cottonwood and Arizona have not yet fallen into line with the Patriot Act, passed since 9/11 that requires ID with a local address in the state you are registering in. It seemed that Lot 104 Dead Horse Ranch Cottonwood Arizona was to be our American Address - don’t send mail!
Only the day before Ian had, in desperation rung the Australian consulate in Washington and described our wish to legally register our RV and truck and they had come back with no real solution ,but they did tell us about the Patriot Act, not being applied in all states which gave us a clue.
Anyway we are now legally on the road.
Nothins made easy for the humble nomads from Aus in USA.
To celebrate we took ourselves up to the town in the sky, Jerome (known as the Wickedest town in the west) a small mining town perched on the side of a mountain, at 8000ft, which in its hay day had a population of 15,000 and now as a tourist hot spot is only about 1,500. Margaritas and a beer went down well that night and a call from Was and Susie, with more good news.
The next day from DHR we visited Montezuma’s castle and Tuzigoot castle - both homes of the south Singuan Indian tribes dating back to the 1400s.
Next morning we said good-bye to Carolyn and David and headed up to Sedona and the 4 million tourists per year. Sedona is well known in America as a hub for the New Age movement, a budding artists community, and home of six of the world’s known Vortexes, with un-paralled nature all around you. The RV Park was the most expensive we had stayed in but that seemed to go with the territory. Our first day we spent cruising the shops and galleries and then going back to Revvy and watching 1 of our 71 channels on the cable television that was supplied by the RV park. The second day C managed to do a card-making workshop,(yippee) visited a quilting shop and searched out a suitable gift for Barb’s birthday. The last day we did a 5-mile hike into the Boynton Canton, which is considered to be one of the most powerful Vortexes in Sedona. Managed a few candid shots of the brightly painted Javelina’s (Musk hogs) which were dotted all around town.( bit like the cows were in Chicago, a few years ago) We then drove up through Oak Creek canyon again and headed north via Flagstaff for some shopping at prices we could afford. It was here, in Sam’s that we bought ourselves a much needed new Canon camera and an absolutely necessary Goose Down doona to prepare ourselves for the way ahead. That night in the sunset crater state park, definitely confirmed that we will need and love the doona. From here we headed north through the Painted Desert towards Monument Valley.
On the way we pulled in at Kayenta 20 miles short of the valley to refuel only to check the vehicle and find one blown tire(note the American spelling!) on one of Revvy’s axles. We started to prepare to change the tyre and were immediately approached by a couple of Navajo Indians with offers of help which was great as we were having a problem with the Jack - with a loan of a jack handle and some good jokes we were able to get the tire changed and head on our way.

Monument Valley is a Navajo tribal reservation. It is home to 300,000 Navajos and of course the famous Arches and rock formations Buttes and Mesas - many of which we have seen in our favourite cowboy movies over the years. The American Indians have 16 million acres of reservation all up in USA and Monument valley is only 91,000 of those but it seems to stretch on and on for ever from Arizona into Utah. There are over 100 ancient Anasazi sites and ruins dating back to AD 1300. Our new camera was certainly getting a good practice start.
Unfortunately , while we were here, Ian had to get a Dr’s apt to have a look at an infection which had been building in his knee and not curing. We had a course of antibiotics with us, from home but just wanted to get a Drs opinion .The course of antibiotics did the trick and all is well now, we think it may have been an insect bite.(no not a Scorpion)
Before leaving the valley we took a tour of one of the Indian Hogans - a traditional home for 2 families of up to 14 and or a spiritual ceremony building.
Driving out of Monument Valley and onwards into Utah was just replete with natural wonders , that had our new camera in overdrive.
We stopped for lunch at Natural bridges monument on top of a Cedar Mesa 6500 feet above sea level home of 3 massive sandstone bridges - once at the bottom of an ancient shore - one of the bridges is said to be the second largest natural bridge in the world.Nice stop, worth doing.

All of this day the scenery was unbelievably breathtaking - honestly just one awesome creation of Mother Earth after the other - sprinkled with the changing autumn leaves and the Colorado River. Our destination for this day was actually Capitol Reef National Park but again half an hour before sunset and 20 miles outside a small town of Hanksville we blew our second tire and unfortunately we had not yet reached a town to replace the spare we had used only 2 days prior. A State Trooper pulled up behind us as we were inspecting the damage and said “we could not litter the highway!” and then proceeded to be very helpful to offer us a ride into town or help us off the road. We decided to disconnect and leave Revvy go to town and Corrie wanted to stay with Revvy but the trooper suggested it would be better to have the RV interfered with than Corrie so off to town we both went leaving our home away from home all alone out on the highway, oh s---t! Eventually we found a tire place that was closed but the owner lived out the back and was at home so he was able to change the tire while we went to town to find a ATM to have cash to pay for it. Got the last $180 available from 3 ATMs and headed out to replace the tire in the dark. More Jack trouble but with some innovation/imagination by “Jean Pierre the Engineer” including digging a hole with the hunting knife we had bought (due to C’s concerns about Mt lions and bears etc) we were heading off in the dark much relived.
We did not reach our planned destination so a night in Hanksville at the local RV park and dinner at the RV restaurant with one of the world’s characters and the best Clam chowder made Hanksville a very interesting spot where we met Coyote hunters, Corrie spotted guys reading Bison hunting maps and saw a sign on the local notice board in town about the local Turkey shootout. But when we left there a day later with all good tyres we left happy and with good memories of this little hunting town in Utah.
Next morning we went and sorted some more cash and bought the second tyre and off we went for even more of the unbelievable scenery on the way.
Our planned one night stop in the Capitol Reef State Park with Deer walking through the camping ground and a carpet of autumn leaves all around us, is now 4 days later.
This is the longest we have dry camped for and it seems we can do 4 days ok, with all luxuries except the microwave and the TV, which doesn’t bother us at all.
And right now it’s off to do a hike and a sunset walk and home for Salmon rissoles and some good music with a glass of wine.
Capitol Reef NP was certainly one of natures hidden secrets, for so many reasons.
The camping ground Fruita was in an orchard planted by the Mormon pioneers over 100 years ago, which were all in Autumn colors and was along side the Fremont river in amongst domed cliffs, spires and scenery that made you feel like you were either in heaven or on another planet.
There was also a little shop in the park that had antique quilts and made yummy homemade pies, icecreams and rustic loaves of bread, (great little treats for the blog writer) made and run by Mormons, this was heaven!
But as with all our beautiful spots we find, they all must come to an end as we continue on into THE GREAT AMERICAN ADVENTURE.
This corner of South West Utah with it’s blend of Mormon and Indian heritage and with just one beautiful National park after the other is a real treasure in the American landscape and well worth spending some time in.
Fortunately we have this next 2 weeks to enjoy The Bryce and Zion National parks, the hikes and the scenery, that is providing we don’t get snowed in, but even that will be an adventure, no doubt.
The weather is now getting a bit colder ,but we are at 8,000 ft! The possum sox and beanies are kepy handy at all times, but we are well fitted out with plenty of warm clothes and bedding and are enjoying our little Revy and the cosy heater at night.
And get this, our truck has electrically heated seats, a first for us!!.
And yes America is now busy preparing for Halloween, a new experience for us which, we’ll be in Las Vegas for could be a bit of a trick or treat ??
Hope you all are in good spirits and enjoying life in whatever season you may be in, miss you all. God bless.

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